Welcome back to Pain Pals for what I hope will be a great week following a fantastic weekend! Those of you who have read my previous couple of posts will know that our lovely girl has her German exchange partner staying – an equally lovely young man of 15 and about 6 feet 3!!  We had a house full on the first night as we hosted all the English girls and German boys & girls to help break the ice; and then when hubby arrived home Saturday evening having collected from ice skating & bowling, I couldn’t help thinking “Bloody hell, my new car really is big” as the front door opened and a stream of teens came in.

There were 16 in total – and no it turns out that the car isn’t really a Tardis – but they were followed by a steady stream of takeaway deliveries from 5 outlets.  I can’t remember when, if ever our doorbell has rung so many times on a Saturday night! I just commented on an EDS Facebook group that a huge positive for us this week has been to see our normally angst ridden teen turn into a group organiser and hostess.  We had only been expecting 6 back on Saturday, but in order to avoid some breakdowns within the group our girl sorted them all (and took over our lounge ha, ha, ha) with tact and diplomacy to ensure everyone had a good evening.  Teenage relationships can be so tricky at the best of times, but throw in different languages, exchange partners paired who ordinarily wouldn’t be in the same friendship groups, one all girls school & one mixed sex, and the probability for issues is huge!  It has been interesting to see that the mixed sex pairings – like our lovely girl and lovely German boy – have been less problematic than the all girls – teenage girls and friendships equals another blog post entirely methinks!  The mixed sex group – 4 couples – went to Thorpe Park Fright Night on Friday and had a fantastic time. Not my cup of tea but they loved it.

As for me I am officially exhausted, typing one handed whilst in a sling again, but am officially one very proud mum having watched my girl blossom before my eyes.  Some might say turning into a chip off the old block – and even her eldest brother commented that the social awkwardness she professes to have is just not evident for the rest of us.  Today they have all gone to Brighton – the Pavilion, fish and chips, the beach and the lanes. Whilst the fatigue and dislocation have taken their toll, I have found some more fabulous blog posts for you to enjoy.

So grab a cuppa, kick you heels up and sit back to read some fab pieces, all very different but all inspiring.  I particularly love the Lush products review from Katie Cupcake and the beautiful piece about friendship from Happiness and Food. Enjoy!

https://fictionisfood.com/2017/10/14/thoughts-on-nannowrimo/#more-4179

https://www.sp-bx.com/rick-and-morty-season-3-review-the-best-season-so-far/

https://clockworkclouds.wordpress.com/2017/10/09/can-you-overthink-an-idea/

http://katiecupcakelifewithme.com/review-with-me/lush-karma-spa-treatment-event-review/

https://www.happinessandfood.com/name-happy/

https://zebratalez.com/2017/10/15/10-social-security-disability-tips/

http://invisiblenotbroken.com/blog/2017/10/4/best-podcasts-to-listen-to-when-stuck-in-bed-with-chronic-pain

http://withoutacrystalball.com/2017/10/12/day-found-family-chronically-ill/

http://www.healthyeatingexperts.com/holistic-therapist-kicked-depression-said-bye-bloat-chronic-digestive-issues-naturally/

https://livingwithme.blog/2017/10/12/all-time-low/

Please comment, share and spread some love for your fellow bloggers.

love Claire x